Kumashiro defines “common sense” in many different ways throughout this text but the most basic and applicable definition to any scenario we encounter would be “what everyone should know” (Kumashiro, 2009, p.XXIX). It is evident from this text though that every place, culture, religion, race, or many more, all have different versions of what common sense is to them. What Kumashiro thought to be common sense in terms of education was very different from what the people and students of Nepal thought. This is one of the reasons it is important to pay attention to common sense. Everywhere we go, common sense is not the same, we need to be observant of others’ common sense and critical of ours. If we do not do this, we may offend people or cause problems for others too. Kumashiro mentions on pages XXXII and XXXIII that the Peace Corp’s objective to “help” the education in Nepal may have actually been problematic instead. In trying to “help” them, the Peace Corps was making the Nepal schools more like the American schools. Kumashiro states that “the Peace Corps was engaging in a form of cultural imperialism, teaching “them” to value and become more like “us”” (XXXIII). This was happening because the Peace Corps were not examining their views of common sense and comparing it to that of Nepal’s.
Personally, I am bringing western views of common sense to this course because it is what I have always grown up with. In particular to the curriculum, it is most common from where I come from that we follow it to the best of our abilities but also make modifications if possible to best fit our students at the time. This could look like taking longer on one unit than outlined. I am also bringing common sense knowledge about place-based and environmental learning into this course as it is something I have grown passionate about through past courses. I believe it is important to acknowledge the ways our students learn best and adjust our own personal pedagogies to our students to aid in their success.
The problem of common sense (From Kumashiro. (2009). Against Common Sense: Teaching and Learning Toward Social Justice, pp. XXIX – XLI).